1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hydration system for use by runners and other athletes who have need for a water or other liquid supply close at hand for facilitating the intake of liquid thereby to avoid dehydration.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known in the prior art that heat and dehydration are the most serious threats to the health of runners and other athletes and even those engaged in strenuous manual labor such as digging ditches. A delicate balance of vital fluids is required for the body to function well. When the amount of water lost to the environment exceeds that taken in, the resulting body dysfunction can range from mild lethargy to cramps, exhaustion, and death. The effects on athletes of running and jumping in hot and humid weather is discussed in depth in the article, "Cooling Off," by Eric Olsen that appeared in the June 1981 issue of The Runner, and in the article, "Body Fluids," by Richard Pearce, Ph.D. that appeared in the April 1982 issue of Runner's World.
Hydration systems have been proposed in the prior art for freeing runners during extended runs from dehydration worries comprising belts designed to be worn about the waist or arm, belts which, in one form, comprise water belts that are self-contained, that is, which directly contain water or other liquid, and which, in another form, are provided with a pocket or pockets for holding cans or bottles of liquid. Such hydration systems are disclosed in advertisements that appeared on pages 13, 19 and 20 of The Runner for June 1981. A jogger's water belt is advertised in the August 1979 issue of Runner's World. That belt is provided with a flexible tube which has one end connected to the belt and a dispenser at the other end for insertion in the runner's mouth for enabling drinking on the run, apparently by squeezing the belt and/or sucking on the dispenser.
Hydration systems are utilized for the purpose of enabling runners to quench their thirst without having to plan their running routes around drinking fountains or stashing containers of liquid around the route, thus providing new freedom, particularly in long training by opening routes with questionable water sources.
A disadvantage with the prior art hydration systems is the restrictive feeling and the sensation of weight about the waist, or arm when the belt is in the form of an armband, and also the need to stop when taking a drink from a bottle or attempting to douse using a bottle. Accordingly, there is a need and a demand for a hydration system that may be worn without experiencing such restrictive feeling and sensation of weight, and which includes a dispensing system which allows drinking and dousing, as desired, without stopping, changing stride or losing concentration that may distract a runner from his path.